Over the years, I’ve tried many power cords on my Class A SS amp @100w/ch. I finally found one where a piano sounds like a piano. It’s a Clarus Crimson HC. Great with the amp, no so much with source components.
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Besides curiosity, I got a small problem with that. I used to have Purist Dominus Rev C Ferox on my quite high current Redgum integrated, and it worked great. And I had Custom Power Cord Company Top Gun on the PS Audio regenerator all the equipment plugged in, including the amp - it is much better in my case than going straight to the wall even by way of the Dominus. However, lately the wall current in the area has been getting worse and I had to try to move the Dominus to the regenerator. It worked, things got better, which is not surprising because Dominus is a superior cord, though the Top Gun is very good too. Problem is that I have only one Dominus and I still miss it on the amp. Another Dominus is hard to find used and quite expensive. So as the thinking goes, I might want to try something that had a chance to outdo Top Gun on the amp while keeping the Dominus connected to the wall outlet and the regenerator. Or, theoretically, something that would be as good as Dominus there and put the Dominus back on the amp. I just have no idea what to try without much hassle and multiple buying/selling cycles. Maybe there is nothing really and I just have to hunt for another Dominus and pay as much as asked, probably about $750-$900. |
Every amp I've owned in the last 20 or so years I've made my own custom cord. Because every house has it's own sound (electrically) I find that each house and component has their own relationship to each other. When I change out an amp it takes about a week or so and I'm designing a cord specifically for that unit. I also find (for people tuning their AC) that resetting their wall outlets per amp is a big deal along with the circuit panel. If I may I'd like to give a free tweak out to folks. When you change out your cord you obviously have your amp turned off. While turned off loosen the shipping harness of your transformer, raise the transformer up slightly and set it back down. Your amp will sound more open and powerful. I recommend getting rid of the shipping harness altogether, but even re-setting the mechanics of the amp can be a pretty big deal. mg |
My preference now are Acoustic Zen Gargantua II cables on my McIntosh MC2301 mono's. I have tried many PC's over the years and they are my favorites so far. I haven't tried every cable out there and I have never made my own. Before the AZ's I only used Wireworld cables, just about all of the ones in their line except for the Platinum ones. |
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Distant past with a Forte’ 4a amplifier I discovered aftermarket power cords worked, when I bought a Pangea AC9 for the amp. better bass easy to hear.When I bought a Bryston 4B-SST² I had upgraded to the Pangea AC9SE (original) Later to the AC9SE mkII Signature.I also made a power cord out of Furutech ’28’ Rhodium plated plugs and DH Labs $8ft wire. And finally I bought a pile of Pangea AC14XL.Currently I have the Pangea SC14XL on the Bryston. and placed the DH Labs/Furutech on my Furman REF20 power conditioner. for best sound. All the rest of my power cords are Pangea AC14Xl, except one other DH Labs Furutech to the Conrad Johnson ACT2 If I had a pile of money wasting away.. I might try a Audio Quest Hurricane on the amp and/or a Cardas Clear Beyond. But that is not gonna happen for YEARS... Well, at least one more year..... IMO if you do not have a great AC duplex. spending a lot on a power cord is a waste. The MOST an AC duplex can cost is $280 or so. and is definitely worth adding to any $280 power cord. Let alone one that is a $2000 power cord! Yes I am saying you are wasting your money if you have expensive power cords but cheap(er) AC duplex outlet feeding that $$$ power cord. |
Cullen Cable Crossover Series II on my Nuprime IDA-16. Have also used it on my Arcam A19. Outstanding power cord, love it. http://http//www.cullencable.com/crossover-series-ii/ Cheers, Scott |
Well, Elizabeth, I get big differences with different power cords plugged in the same $7 outlet. Besides, audiophile duplex doesn't block interference, as far as I know, and that is the major problem. Power cord is an extension of a power supply and that's exactly what you want to achieve - improve the power supply. |
Problem solved. No, I didn't get another Purist Dominus, I almost accidentally got Purist Aquila Praesto Revision, not current Luminist Revision, power cord that was specifically designed for digital with superior shielding. No fluid or ferox or contego. So I put Dominus back on the amp and ran Aquila from the wall to the regenerator. It's 12 gauge cord. I don't know what Jim Aud, Purist designer, had in mind but this thing works great where it is now. I also tried the other way around - Dominus from the wall to the regenerator and Aquila on the amp. That was also better than what I had before but nowhere near the current arrangement. In this system the place of the Dominus is on the amp. I didn't even try Aquila on the phono and cd player, another Top Gun works well there, though Aquila might be better. I rarely use cd player so I just move power cord and interconnects, once every three/four months. Very unexpected, this cords and cables experiments can be very rewarding. |
